Truck.



G. P@ TAYLOR.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED 9212.9. 1912.

Patented Oct. 24,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l G. P,- TAYLOR.'

, TRUCK.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 9. |912-` Patented oet. y24, 1916, 2sHEETs-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. TAYLOR, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ABSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 HERBERT W. COWAN, J'.

LEWIS WYCKFF, AND EDWARD N. WHITE,

TBUSTEES, ALL 0F HQLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRUCK.

To all whom t may concern.' i

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in trucks such as are used in warehouses, factories and stores, for the purpose of conveying goods or materials from one place to another, and which are adapted to raise a load from the floor and deposit it at another place.

The invention relates more particularly to the type of truck disclosed in my prior Patent #1,122,439, dated December 29, 1914, in which elevating means are provided for raising a platform, and the object of the invention is to improve and simplify such constructions so as to facilitate the operation of the elevating means and to rovide a Secure and 'stable locking means t erefor when elevated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convenient arrangement for elevating the platform from the steering handle of the truck and for controlling the lowering of the platform through said steering handle as a lever, the parts being so arranged that the beginning of the operators stroke in elevat ing the platform is made more easy than in other devices of this character.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convenient and reliable manually operated trip mechanism which is adapted to release said elevating mechanism so that the load may be lowered onto the floor while under the control of the operato-r.

These being among the 4objects of the present invention, the same consists of cer! tain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the-claims with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment of the invention, and in which a Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an improved truck of the present invention, the platform of the truck being in lowered position; Fig. 2 is a similar view, the platform of the truck being however in elevated position,a portion of the steering handle being omitted as is also the case with Fig. 1; Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 9, 1912.

Patented oet. e4., 1er e. Serial No. 735,691.

3 is a plan view of the truck, the upper platform and a portion of the operating handle being omitted; Fig. 4 is a view of the rear end of the truck; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of parts of the truck showing how the swinging yoke and its connections are limltehd in one direction and held in locked posit-ion; and Fig. G is a detail view of a portion of the truck illustrating the trip mechanism for releasing the elevated load.

Referring to the drawings, the base or truck body l of the truck is provided with a pair of wheels 2-2 'which are preferably Journaled thereon at the rear. Above the body or base 1 is a platform 3 on which the load is to be carried. Mounted for swinging movement between the truck body l and upper platform 3 are link members 21, 21 22, 22, one at each ofthe four corners o said truck body for raising and lowering said platform through the mechanism hereafter described. At that end of the truck opposite the wheels 2, 2a said base or body is provided with a bracket 4 havi g an up right sleeve 5 in which is swivel the spindle 6 of a fork 7 forming a vfifth wheel de vice for steering the truck. Between the ends of the fork 7 is mounted an axle 8 of a steering wheel 9.V The said axle 8 is eX- tended suiiciently at each side of the caster wheel so that bifurcations 10 of a handle or tongue 11 may have bearing on said axle, to enable the handle to be used as the main operating memberV of the mechanism, both to eventually elevate or lower the platform and to steer the truck by reason of the swivel connection 5, 6.

The preferred means for elevating the platform from the base is as follows: Mounted for Swingin movement vertically, that is, in a vertical plane between the upper and lower portions of the truck but not necessarily directly connected to either, are the links 21, 21, 22 and 22a. There are preferably two links 21 21 at the front and two links 22 22a at the rear of the truck, and in the present embodiment each link such as 21 22 -is, pivotally connected to the upper platform as at 23 19 and has a sliding pivotal connection with the lower truck body through pivots such guides 28 29.

The links 21, 21a, e2 and e2 u each carry intermedlate their ends a roller or pin 30, 30,

840'", adapted-tube engaged by cam surfaces` or Vwedges such as 2.6, 32, one for each link, when moved relatively thereto. In the present preferred embodiment the wedges 5, 2 6, 32, are xed to the lower truck body and each wedge-is alsoformed with the longitu- 'udinal guide slots such as 28, .29, below its inclined face for receiving the pin 27 of its I associated liiik- 21.',1Eacli `of'siiid pivots 27, 10 27" ismovable longitudinally of the body y or base 1, being guidedin said slots 28 and 29. The inclinedrguidesurfacesor faces ofthe wedges 2G and 32 maybe slightly concave as shown. f

Y A link operating device `preferably in the Y `form of a yokewith side members 15, 15,

and an upper cross-'bar 15h is -pivoted at 16 on the'bas'ev of the truck."v Saidlink operating device lalso `has short arms 17 and 18 2o '.pivotallyconnectedy at 14,14*, with connecting rods 12 and 13 respectively, said rods in turn being connected at their rearward ends to the'upperv ends Iof the rear swinging links 22 and 22. through-pivot rod 19. In this 'way the lyoke 15 through its connections,

Y 9.5 'wardlyfromthe position shown. in Fig. 1

A to the position shown.inFig 2, the yoke 15 l will also be rocked on itsl pivot 16` to ele- -va'te the platform and swing the links, as

. above described. Rollers 15 are preferably "'provideld as shown at the' connection between the handle ll-and theyokeyl to furnish. an anti-frictional bearing between the cam face 10 yoke- Itwill be observed thatrthe yoke' 15, through its connection to the elevating links 21etc., of the platformLsw'ings in elinite "fixed relation tojsaid swinging links, so as to be in the position shown in Fig. 1 when and the cross bar 15h of the 5.0 the, platform' is down and conveniently located for engagementv by the handle 11 in i its downward sweep for elevatingthe platform, and in the position shown in Fig. 2 when the platformis up .so as to be con- '5 5 trolled by the upward sweep 'of the handle :in lowering thef platform. 'It is obvious that the handle and yits portion. 10 inay be `held in continuous engagement .wit'hthe yoke 15 both'for effecting the elevationof 30- the platform and' controlling its descent, and

that said ,handle may lalso be disengaged from said yoke and moved laterally thereof,

for steering Athe truck;

The yoke and its connectionsare arranged @5to-be self-locking when moved into the poare raised.

sition shown in Fig. l2, by means of an ex'- tending toe 2G, 20, on each rod 12 and 13, which abuts a ainstl some stationary part or stop of the ase ame, such as 4the'pivot shaft 16. flhis'prevents the yoke .15 from 70 swinging fartherin a. downward direction, and since the pivotal connection 14: is above the line 'oinng the centers 19 and 16, a load on the p tforin 3 will tend to hold the parts in this locking position. The yoke 15 being pivoted as shown on the base 1, and also connected with the platform ends of the links 21, etc., operates when swun fto move said links and the wed es 26, 32, re atively to one another so that t e ini# go tial upward movement of said links is brought about by the coaction of 'the wedges 2.6, 32, :ainst the ins 30, 30h etc., Iof said links. hen the platform is own and the links 21, etc., are nearly inline with the rods Il 12 and'lS as 'shown in Fig, l, it is obvious that the force from the rods 12 and 13- delivered tothe platfornifends of the swinging links is not as effective in raising said links at the beginning of their upward movement as is t e force of the wed es acting` on the intermediate pins of sai links. In other words, the turning moment im* parted to said links by-the wedges 2B, 32, is greater than that imparted by the rods, duringthe initial movement 'of said links u wardly. The force of the rods 12, 13, howi ever, increases ineiiectiveness as the links This arrangement of two sets of devices,-' 100 one set bein the wedges and the other set being the ro s,-for acting on the elevating links, facilitates the raising of the platform from a osition in which said links are 'sube stantia y horizontal, as shown in Figa l, and moreover makes it easier for the o erator at the steering handle. It is more dicult for the operator to apply his power to the steeringhandle when the latter is in its vertical osition as shown in Fig. 1, than when the, lbad ispartly elevated, and this diiculty is compensated, partly at least, by the action of the two sets of devices above described.

I' To understand .the operation o f ni .device more fully, it will be well to re er to Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 1 the platform is in lowered osition, in which position the pairs of lin s 21 21zand 22 22L are moved into a position substantially parallel with and between the base 1 and the latform, 3,- and the pivots 27 2 7* of the said links are located, in this position of the arts of the truck, at the forward ends of the guide slots 28, 29.V When the platform is raised es in Fig. 2, the links 21, etc., will be in a position angular to the planes of .the bese and the platform, said platform havin been shifted in a planewliich is paralle with the plane of the base, andthe ivots 27 27* of said links being then locate at the rear 1,80

ends of said guide slots 28 and 29. Further,

the inclines 26, etc., while in the position shown in Fig. 2, they will be' located at the upper ends orbeyond said inclines. Or, if suilicient motion is apcplied through the Swingin device sai the inclmes and swjglg through arcs having pivots such as 27 as'a center. i

yThe operation is as follows: The operator moves the handle 11 down, thus imparting a horizontal movement to the latform 3,

through the medium of the descri ed mechanism or any other suitable connecting mechanism. The said platform is not merely shifted horizontally but the links and platform which are connected` to the base by said links, are moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, said platformbeing thereb elevated. It is obvious that in moving tliie platform from the position shown in Fig. 1 to Fig; 2 the pivots 27 27',A shift radually alongfthe guide slots 28, 29 and t e rollers 30 3()b rise gradually along the inclined wedge faces 26 and 32 so that the said links 21, 22, etc., are bodily shifted relatively to the base 1 and turn on said pivots 27, etc., with the result that the platform is gradually elevated.

The swinglng devlce 15 and its connections are released from their locking position when the platform is raised by means of tripping mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 6. A pressure device or arm 33 is pivoted Aat 34 to the body or base 1 of the truck, and the same is rovided with a depending `hook '35 which 1s ylocated adjacent but in advanceof the fulcrum 16 of the yoke 15, so as to engage the underside ofthe same as shown in Fig. 6. For actuating said pres-` sure device 33, a treadle or lever 36 is pivoted at 37 to said devlce 33 and is provided with a knuckle or fulcrum portion 38 which,

when pressure is applied to said treadle or lever by the operator, bears upon some staytionary portion of the base adjacent to pivot 16, for a fulcrum to thereby swing said pressure device 33 upwardly against the yoke 15. The pivot 14 is shifted` thereby below the line joining the centers 19 and 16 suiliciently to break the parts from locking osition and the operator may control the owering of the load, by handle 10.

Preferably applied to the sides of the rear end of the truck and just in advance of the wheels 2 2, are guards 40 40a which protect the said wheels and prevent them from `coming in contact with an obstruction.

Obviously the described truck is susceptible of modification, as parts may be omitted, parts added and parts altered without changing ythe principle of the device.

What- I claim asnew is 1. In an elevating truck in combination,

rollers may leave a base` member, and ai platform member,

links mounted for swinging movement between said base and platform members to provlde for an up and down movement of said platform, said links having connections adapted for pivotal movement with both said base menmer and said platform member, the connections of said links with one of said members being also 'slidable, wedges located between said platform and said base members, for coacting with said links in' i raising said platform member, and means for moving saidy links and wedges relatively to one another. n

2. In an elevating truck, in combination, a base, supporting wheels therefor, elevatin means comprising swinging links mounte on said basefor up and down swinging movement, two sets of devices arranged to act on said links for swinging the same upwardly, one set of devices adapted to impart a greater turning moment to said links at the beginning of their upward movement than the other set of devices, and means for operating both sets of devices to swing said links upwardly.

3. In an elevating truck, in combination, a base, supporting Wheels therefor, a steering device, a steering handle for manipulating said steering device in guiding the truck,l

form, means for'elevating said platform y from said base comprising swinging'links having pivotal connections with said base and said platform, two sets of devices arranged to acton said links for swinging the same and elevating thesplatform, one set of devices adapted to impart a greater turning moment to said links at the beginning of their upward movement than the other set of devices, and means for operating both sets of devices to swing said links and elevate said platform.

5. In an elevating truck, in combination, a base, supporting `wheels therefor, a platform, means for elevating said platform from said base comprising swinging links having pivotal connections at their ends with said base and said platform, two .sets of devices arranged to act on said links for swinging the same and elevating the platform, one set comprising wedges arranged to act on said links at a point removed from their pivotal connections to said base, the other set comprising connecting rods arranged to act on the platform ends of said l a base,'supporting Wheels therefor, a latsesv form, means for elevating said platform from said base, comprising vertically swingingl links mounted between said platform and base, wedges arranged to act against said links at a point removed from one end thereof so as to raise the other ends of said links and elevate said platform when Said wedges and links are moved relatively to one another, and means for moving said links and wedges relatively to one another.

7. In an elevating truck, in combination, i

a base, supporting wheels therefor, a latform, means for elevating said plat orm from said'base comprising vertically swinging links having pivotal connections at one end with said base and at their'other ends with said platfo-rm, pins on said links intermediate the ends thereof, wedges mounted. on said base and arranged to act against the intermediate pins on said links to lift the same when saidlinksv and wedges are moved relatively to one another, and means for moving said links and wedges relatively to one another for elevating said platform.

' 8. In an elevating truck incombination, a base, supporting wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operating device swinging at all times with said links so that `it is in one predetermined position when said links are up and in another predetermined position when said links 'are down,handoperated means for effecting the raising and controlling the lowering of said elevating means, said handoperated means arranged to directly and continuously engage said link-operating device during both the raising and lowering of the elevating means andbeing disengageable from saidv link-operating device and movable laterallythereo-f for steering said truck.

9. In an elevating` truck in combination, a base, supporting Wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operating device swinging at all times with said links so that it is in one predetermined position when said links are up and in another predetermined position when said links are down,'hand`-op erated means for effecting the raising and controlling the lowering o f said elevating means, said handoperated means havlng a connection with said steering device and arranged to directly and continuously engage said link-operating device durin both the raising and lowering of said e evating means, and being disengageable from said link-operating device so as to move withsaid steering device laterally of said link-operating device in steering said truck.

lO. In an elevating truck in combination, a base, supporting wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links. mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operating device swinging at all times with said links so that it is "1n one predetermined position when said links are up and 'in another predetermined position when said links are down, hand-operated means for effecting theraising and controlling the lowering of said elevating means, said handoperated 'means having a connection with said steering device `and arranged to directly and continuously engage said link-operating device during both the raising'and lowering of said elevating means, and being disen-` gageable from said link-operating device so as'to move with said steering device laterally of said linkoperating device in steering said truck, and a stop on said base arranged to coact with said elevating means to maintain the same locked in upper position when raised.

1l. In an elevating truck in combination, a base, supportingl wheels therefor, an upright extension at one end of said base pro-` viding a fixed steering head, a steering device swiveled in said head, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operated device swinging at all times with said links so that it is in one predetermined position when said links are up and in another predetermined position when said links are down, hand-operated means for effecting the raising and controlling the lowering of said elevating means, said hand-operated means having a connection with'said steering device, and arranged to directly and continuously engage said'link-operating device during both theiraising and lowering ofl said elevating means, and being disengageable` fromsaid link-operating device so as to move with said steering device laterally of said link-operating device in steering said truck.

12. In an elevating truck in combination, a base, supporting wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link operating yoke formed with side members and` an upper connecting cross member, said yoke swinging at all times vwith said links so that it is in one predetermined position when said links are up 'and in lanother predetermined position when said links are down, hand-operated means for effecting the raising and controlling the lov'vering of said elevating means, said hand-operated means having a connection with said steering device, and arranged to directly and continuously engage the upper cross member of said yoke during both the raising and lowering of said elevating means, and heilig disengageable from said yoke so as to move with said steering device laterally of said yoke in steering said truck.

13. In an elevating truck in combination, a base, supporting wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operating yoke formed with side members and an upper connecting cross member, said yoke swinging at all times with said links so that it is in one predetermined position when said links are up and in another predetermined position when said links are down, hand-operated means for effecting the raising and controlling the lowering of said elevating means, said handoperated means having ah connection with said steering device, and arranged to directly and continuously engage the upper cross member of said yoke during both the raising and lowering of said -elevating means, and being disengageable from said yoke so as to move with said steering device laterally of said yoke in steering said truck, and a stop on said base arranged to coact with said elevating means to maintain the same locked in upper position when raised.

14;. In an elevating truck in combination. a base, supporting Wheels therefor, a steering device, elevating means comprising links mounted to swing up and down on said base, and a link-operating device swinging at all times with said links so that it is in one predetermined position when said links are up and in another predetermined position when said links are down, hand-operated means l'or effecting the raising and controlling the lowering of said elevating means, said hand-operated means having-a connection with said steering device, and arranged to directly and continuously engage said link-operating device during both the raising and lowering of said elevating means, and being disengageable from said linkoperating device so as to move with said steering device laterally of said link-operating device in steering said truck, a, stop on said base arranged to coact with said elevating means to maintain the same in locked position when raised, and a manuallyoperated tripping device arranged to release said elevating means from its upper locked position and allen7 the same to descend.

Signed at Holyoke this 20th day of N0- vember, 1912.

GEORGE P. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

G. A. WILMs, JAMES F. ONEILL.

It is hereby certified that. in Letters Patent, No. 1,202,242, grunted October 24, 1916, upon the application of George P. Teylor, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, for an improvement in 'h'ucks, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction :is follows: Page 4, line 102, claim 11, for the compound word linkoperated read link-operating; und that. the said Letters Patent. should be read with this correction therein that. the same :nay conform tn the record of the in the Patent. Oce.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of November, A. D., 1916."

F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Cmnmiesiofm of Patents.

[sun] 

